Scientific data stressed in man's planned plummet

ROSWELL, N.M. — Whatever the leap means for mankind, it should definitely be one giant step for a man.

Felix Baumgartner, a professional daredevil, plans to step off a balloon-borne capsule 23 miles above Earth on Tuesday and plummet for 5K minutes until opening his parachute a mile above the New Mexico desert. If all goes as planned, he will do a series of barrel rolls in the near-vacuum of the stratosphere and then plunge headfirst at more than 700 mph, becoming the first sky diver to break the sound barrier.

His planned attempt was postponed Monday because of weather conditions.

Baumgartner, 43, a former Austrian paratrooper who became known as Fearless Felix by leaping off buildings, landmarks and once into a 600-foot cave, said that this was his toughest challenge, because of the complexity involved and because of an unexpected fear he had to overcome: claustrophobia. During five years of training, he started suffering panic attacks when he had to spend hours locked inside the stiff pressurized suit and helmet necessary for survival at the edge of space.

But he persevered with the help of psychological conditioning and a mentor, Joe Kittinger, a retired Air Force colonel who has held the altitude and speed records since 1960, when he jumped 19 miles from a balloon during a research project (after nearly dying in a practice jump). Kittinger, 84, will be the only voice on the radio guiding Baumgartner during the two-hour ascent to the stratosphere.

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"Felix trusts me because I know what he's going through — and I'm the only one who knows what he's going through," Kittinger said.

Both men like to stress the science to be learned.

Engineers and physicians are not sure what will happen if Baumgartner goes through the sound barrier. They realize he could be battered as parts of his body go supersonic or subsonic at different times, but the impact is expected to be manageable because of the thin air at that altitude — or so the engineers and Baumgartner hope.

"I know the consequences if something goes wrong," he said. "And it crosses my mind — what if I'm never going to see my family again? But I have learned how to control my fear so that it doesn't get in the way."

The dive

Cameras: Some 30 video and still cameras attached to the capsule and Felix Baumgartner's body. Organizers promise a live feed with a 20-second delay in case of a tragic accident. redbullstratos.com

Risks: The balloon could rip in wind more than 2 mph. Problems with his pressure suit could cause a gruesome death.

Balloon: Made of plastic film strips 0.0008 inches thick, thinner than a Ziploc bag so delicate that it must be used immediately once out of the box, thus it wasn't tested. If laid flat, this plastic would cover 40 acres.

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